


A year

by SheMalfoy13



Series: Fire and Blood snippets and alternate paths [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Dumb royals being dumb, Fluff, Sibling Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-12-31 22:21:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18323111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SheMalfoy13/pseuds/SheMalfoy13
Summary: It's been a year after Azula's release from the asylum, and her return to the palace. Set within the world of In Fire and Blood.





	A year

The palace was in silence. Azula opened her eyes in bed, taking in the shadows of the room in a frown; she wasn’t exactly sure what had awakened her, but she felt something was off. Maybe it was the silence.

It had to be close to sunrise, she could feel her blood beginning to prickle with the element’s call, so why was it so quiet? She sat up in bed, and called for her personal assistant. The girl didn’t show. For a moment, fear threatened to creep to the front of her mind, but she pushed it away. There shouldn’t be a reason to fear anything, just the previous night everything had been as usual as the day before. Maybe it was too early. Perhaps she’d awoken before the rest of the palace. It wouldn’t be the first time a dream disturbed her, and she wound up sitting in the garden, with the blue-turned-to-pink, hues of dawn.

She slid out of the bed, and into a simple dress, not bothering with shoes or her hair, and took to the hallways. The silence there was even louder, not a servant or guard in sight, but not a single body either, so was this something to be worried about, or was this- was this a dream maybe? She walked aimlessly through the corridors, trying to make sense of the situation. Trying to avoid the stare of the portraits, and the reflection of the windows, because if this was in fact in her mind, then those would get her in trouble.

Her feet took her to the throne room, and the dining one, and she peeked into Zuko’s office as well. Everything seemed normal enough. Empty. But normal. She tugged down the sleeves of her dress, disquieted. The kitchens seemed like a good place as any to go next; she’d have some water, maybe even tea, and think about this more. Through the open curtains to a side, the sun was filtering, and she dared look to find the gardens equally vacant. Most odd.

Azula’s spine tensed unwittingly when she heard noise coming from her destination. She halted, breath stuck high in her chest, as she tried to figure out what was happening on the other side of the doors. After a moment though, it seemed as if someone was cooking, which was the most logical thing giving the place, but still- she looked over her shoulder. The empty hallway stretched long into the red curtains, the sun coming in golden patterns through the high glass windows. Moving forward looked better, at least for now.

“Zuko?” She frowned, once inside the kitchens, and blinked a couple of times. “What- are you cooking?” So maybe this was really a dream after all. Azula took a look over the island countertop where her brother- the Fire Lord- had assembled what looked like breakfast. Her eyes went back to him, eyebrows raising in a wondering manner.

“You woke up early.” He commented. Azula shrugged, unable to discern what was happening here still.

“Don’t I always?” She took a couple of hesitant steps inside, gaze moving over Zuko, fingers trailing over the marble top. It all seemed real enough. “Where is everyone?”

“I guess you do. I should’ve started earlier then.” He smiled, sheepishly, and she knew she was missing something, but couldn’t really tell what, and that was really disconcerting. “I sent them away, for the day. It’s just you and me today.”

“Oh.” That seemed to be a happy thing, if her brother’s face was of any indication, and she couldn’t say she minded really; on the contrary, time alone with Zuko was rare. But- “And the reason?”

He grinned. Slowly, his lips stretched into a grin she didn’t get to see often, what with the meetings, and paperwork, and life in general. She couldn’t help but to let her own lips follow with a small curve of their own. If he was happy, then she was as well.

“Today it’s a year.” He said, as if he were talking about the weather, and it finally dawned on her. Lips parted, her brow furrowed once more, in recognition.

A year already, and she’d never even noticed. She’d never marked the date, had barely been able to tell day from night those first weeks at the palace, after her release from the asylum. But of course he would. And of course he would be so stupidly considerate, and-

“I don’t think I’m ready.” The words left her on their own, but they were true. The doctor, her therapist, the bending instructor, they’d all said a year. A year and she could remove the cuffs once and for all. But as she felt reality trickle down her back in a warming feeling- in anticipation of what could be- she felt fear turning the tip of her fingers into ice. “Maybe we should wait.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Azula, you know you’re ready. I know you are.” He smiled encouragingly. “I’ve seen your training, I’ve been with you without the cuffs before, and the instructor says you’re in control of it.”

“It’s not perfect. I can do better.” She countered albeit half-heartedly, and he shook his head, but didn’t look put out by her choice of words. If anything, he was amused, as if he’d expecting as much.

“Well, I don’t really care. And, you know, I’ve told everyone to leave today in case you decided to burn the palace down, so-” The key glinted in his hand, and he took a step towards her, smiling. She took two back. “Come on, Azula, don’t you want to burn some stuff? I’m granting permission.”

She wanted, she really did. Maybe not burning stuff, but take off the horrid cuffs once and for all. Feel her fire free again. But the risks- a part of her feared a mishap. Zuko waved the key in the air, walking towards her. She eyed the breakfast once more, endearment mistied her eyes. He’d really been waiting for this. She turned back to her brother to find him making his way around the island.

“You just want me to burn this place down so that you free yourself of all the work. Don’t think I don’t know how your mind works.” She taunted, smirking. He shrugged, his face an attempt at innocence. “Well, I’m not doing your dirty work, brother.” And she sprinted out the door.

She heard Zuko laugh, and a second later he was fast on her heels, and she cursed her clothes, because they were less than ideal to run, and he was taller than her. He’d catch her in no time. She made a closed turn into a lounge room, using her deftness to hop over the furniture and gain some distance.

Azula had almost managed to reach one of the doors to the gardens when he caught her. Zuko’s arms closed around her middle, and he picked her up and spun her around. His laughter echoed in the vastness of the empty palace, and she followed suit with her own, rather agitated one.

“Put me down, Zuko!” She complained in between chuckles, wriggling in his arms, but he just laughed louder, and twisted her to fit over his shoulder. “Come on, this is awful behaviour of a Fire Lord, brother! What will your advisers say?”

“You know- ouch, someone once told me, what were the words? Hey knock it off-” Zuko marched down a hallway, and Azula used her new position to poke at his ribs and tug at his hair. “This Princess once told me, fuck the advisors, so I’m just following her word on it.”

“You just pick and choose when to listen to Princesses, don’t you?” She kept a steady rhythm on her fingers digging at his sides, lips curved in a permanent resigned smile. It would seem they were going back to the kitchens.

“Of course. It is my job as the Fire Lord to see what fits, and what doesn’t.” Zuko crossed the doors and put her down, his broader frame against them, keeping her from exiting again. He raised his unburnt eyebrow, and with an exaggerated sigh, she put her hands forward. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Still, as he took the key to one of the cuffs, his fingers trembled, and Azula stopped breathing. This was it. After today she’d be free, completely free. The notion was almost nauseating. For years now she’d depended on him, he was her support, her friend,  _her warmth_. She wondered if he was thinking the same thing. If he’d miss having her clinging to him like a child. Probably not. But in any case-

“We’ll still train together, right?” Azula’s voice was small, her heart readying for a negative answer. Zuko looked up, and she thought she saw a tear escape the corner of his good eye.

“Every time you want to, yes.” The key clicked. Once, the cuff clattered on the floor. Twice, the second followed. She was afraid of breathing, could feel the fire nudging her to do so.

She quieted it down, there was time for that. Instead, her arms found each other around Zuko’s waist, and she rested her head on his shoulder. His hugged her back not a second later, fingers running through her hair. And they stayed there for a moment, no need for words, when they were both feeling the same thing; their fires getting acquainted with one another once more.

“Come brother-” She pulled away softly, threading fingers with his, and walking to the island countertop, where breakfast awaited for them. “let’s eat, and then we can run around the palace burning some stuff. I do have permission, after all.” She smiled up at him.

“Of course. Anything you want, so long as you burn some of those awful legislation papers as well.” He smirked down at her, nudging her shoulder and moving to seat on a stool.

His eyes were fixed on her, and she halted her movements, fork with stabbed waffle waiting midway to her lips. Azula raised an eyebrow at him. “If you get sentimental I’ll zap you.” She threatened, and put the bite in her mouth.

“Oh, this is actually good. Do tell, where is the Chef hiding?” She teased, leaning into him with a chuckle.

“You’re funny.” Zuko’s arm hugged her by the shoulders, and kissed her temple. “The more you tease me, the less you get to burn.”

Azula shook her head, amused, and turned to her plate once more. He was impossible, far better than she deserved. But she was selfish, and loved him, so she zapped him anyway, for him not to forget it.


End file.
